Hand-stamp



(No Model.)

L. LSGOTFORD.

HAND STAMP.

Patented May '7, 1889.

Qua

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS K. SCOTFORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HAND-STAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,771, dated May '7, 1889.

Application filed October 18, 1886- $erial No. 216,500- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS K. SOOTFORD, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand-Stamps; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hand-stamps of that class comprising one or more flexible type-bands, which are mounted upon suitable guides or rollers in such manner that the band or bands may be moved to bring a certain character or combination of characters into position for printing.

This invention embraces improvements which are generally applicable to handstamps, and it also embraces certain improvements in endless-band dating devices for selfinkinghand stamps, together with other matters, as will hereinafter appear.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

Hand-stamps of the character above described, as heretofore usually constructed, have been provided with dating devices comprising four separate bandsone for printing the names of the months, another for printing the year, and two bands, each containing a single series of numerals, which are used together for making the desired combination of figures to express the day of the month. The employment of two type-bands for printing the day of the month is objectionable, for the reason that they require two separate sets of supporting and actuating devices, and also for the reason that the two bands are necessarily made narrow, and

therefore weak and are easily broken, while at the same time the accurate adjustment of the numbers upon the two bands with relation to each other is troublesome and wasteful of time. The employment of a single band containing the entire set of numbers necessary forindicating the day of the month, when sustained upon two guides or rollers, as common heretofore, is objectionable, owing to the increased size of the stamp necessary to accommodate the band thus supported, and the use of a band thus made and supported has been found impracticable in a self-inking hand-stamp without making the stamp inconveniently large by reason of the limited space allowed in such stamps between the top of the die-plate and the inking or printing surface, this space being too small to permit the location of the guides for a long band in the usual position with relation to the other parts of the device.

I have overcome the several difficulties mentioned in the device herein illustrated as embodying my invention by employing along band containing all of the figures necessary for indicating the days of the month, and by placing said band over guides or rollers grouped Within a small space near the guide or roller which supports the part of the band by which the printing is done, the guides or rollers being so disposed as to keep the band taut. By this construction a long band may be conveniently used in a small and compact stamp, while at the same time it may be readily placed within the space afforded at the rear surface of the die-plate of a selfinking hand-stamp, within the frame thereof. In carrying out this part of my invention any suitable location or arrangement of the guides for the type-band may be employed; but preferably said band is supported upon three or more suitably-arranged rollers, the type or figure by which the printing is accomplished being supported at the time of printing either by one of the rollers or by means of a stationary part or surface, such as heretofore commonly, used for this purpose.

The invention may be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of a self-inking handstamp containing a dating device and constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view thereof,-takenupon line a: :r of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the die-plate and dating device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, taken upon line 0000 of Fig. 2, the frame, typebands, and rollers of the dating device being shown in side elevation. Fig. ais a perspective view of the supporting-frame and rollers illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 separate from other parts of the apparatus. Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement of the bandsupporting rollers differing somewhat from that shown in Figs. 1, 2, and Fig. (3 is a plan view from beneath of the slotted plate by which the type-bands are supported, illustratinga series of movable stops employed to aid in bringing the type accurately into posi tion for printing. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail section taken upon line :maof Fig. 6, and showing a roller for supporting the type-band desirable for use in some cases, and also one of the movable stops shown in Fig. 6. Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate an. improved actuating device for moving the type-bands somewhat dif ferent from that shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken upon line y y of Fig. 2, illustrating the adjusting devices by which the type-band-supporting frame is adjustably sustained with relation to the dieplate of the stamp.

The hand-stamp illustrated in the drawings is similar to a stamp invented by me and shown in a prior Letters Patent, No. 233,285, dated October 12, 1880, said stamp consisting of a main frame formed by two end plates, A, a top plate, A, and cross-bars A A the top plate, A, being recessed upon its under side to receive an inking-pad, A, and a handle, B, provided with two arms or forks, B, which extend outside of the end plates, A A, and are connected by means of pivots b with a die-plate, C. The said die-plate is rotated by relative movement of the handle and frame in such manner as to cause its printing-face to come into contact either with the inking-pad or the surface to be printed by means of a swinging arm, D, pivotally supported upon the inner side of one of the end plates, A, and provided with a curved guide-slot, (1, constructed to engage one of the pivots b, and provided also with a pin or stud, (Z, engaging a guide-slot, c, in an arm, 0, upon the the plate (has fully set forth in said prior patent.

The frame of the dating device shown consists of two vertical end plates or bars, E E, and two intermediate triangularplates, E E, said plates being held parallel with each other and attached to a plate, F, which is secured to the upper or inner surface of the die-plate by means of screwsff. As herein shown, the frame-plates E E E E are connected with each other by rods G G, which form the bearings of a series of guide-rollers, H H H H and I 1 of three type-bands, II II I. The guide-rollers H H are located between the exterior frame-plates, E E, and support the exterior bands, H H, upon which are placed in a dating-stamp of the usual construction the names of the months and the year. The guidesaid plates E E, over which the said typeband I is trained, the said rollers being arranged in such amanner as to hold the band taut, while at the same time occupying little room in the frame. In one convenient arrangement of the said rollers I 1 (shown in 1, 2, and 3) the rollers I are located adjacent to the supporting-plate F at either side of the central line of the frame-plates E, and the rollers I are located between said rollers I I and the roller 1 at the upper or outer end of the frame, the said rollers I I" being relatively so located that the type-band passes over the roller 1 in a straight line to the outer part of the rollers I 1 then passes inwardly around said rollers 1 then upwardly around the rollers I, and then around the roller 1 at the bottom of the frame, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The rollers I and II 1-1 by which the types or raised parts of the type-band employed in printing are supported, are so located as to sustain the surface of the type in the same plane with the type or printing surface J, which issecured to the die-plate, said dieplate and the supporting-plate F being provided with rectangular openings or slots, through which the type-bands pass.

The frame supporting the type-bands, and comprising the plates E E, may be attached to the supporting-plate F in any desired orpreferred manner. A simple and convenient construction for this purpose is herein shown, in which an exterior casing or cover, K, is placed over the frame and the type-bands, and is secured to the supporting-plate F by means of screws in, passing through flanges upon the said casing K, the latter being fitted closely to the outer surfaces of the plates E E and to the side margins of the plates E so as to hold the said plates firmly fromshifting upon the supporting-plate F. When this construction is used, the rollers I H H may be held accurately in position with relation to said plate F by engagement of logs or pro jections e e at the ends of the plates E E with notches f formed in the end portions of the central opening of the supporting-plate F, as clearly shown in Fig. 6.

To provide means for adjusting the position of the type of the type-bands which are held upon therollers I H H with relation to the faces of the type or printing-surface upon the die-plate G, the screws f, connecting the said plate F with the said die-plate C, have screw-threaded engagement with the plate F, and are mounted to rotate in the die-plate (l by means of shouldersf resting against the top surface of the said plate C, and with countersunk heads f engaging the under surface of said die-plate, so that when the said screws are turned the supporting-plate F will be moved bodily toward and from the die-plate in a familiar manner.

In a prior patent, No. 346,690, granted to me upon the 3d day of August, 1886, I have described and claimed a construction wherein types are attached to the rotating plate of a self-inking stamp, and other types are attached to a secondary plate attached to the outer face of the rotating plate by screws arranged substantially as herein shown, said secondary plate being provided with a central slot, through which the type upon the rotating plate extend. This construction has been found objectionable for the reason that in a device of this kind the shock caused by the contact of the secondary plate against the printing-surface comes entirely upon the threaded connection between the screws and the rotating plate, with the result that after the stamp has been used a considerable time the screws become loose and the stamp becomes useless. By the employment of the construction herein shown, in which the dating device is supported upon the plate F, which latter plate is adj ustably secured upon the inner surface of the die-plate, the shock caused by the contact of the die-plate with the printing-surface comes directly upon the die-plate, which is directly connected with the handle of the stamp, and no strain whatever comes upon the said screws.

The type-bands may be arranged within a small space, such as is afforded at the back or inner surface of the die-plate and between the said die-plate and the adjacent parts of the frame of a self-inking hand-stamp, by the employment of guide rollers or supports for the band, arranged otherwise than as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. In Fig. 5, for instance, is illustrated a construction embracing two rollers, I 1 arranged like the rollers I I of Fig. 1, and other rollers, I I arranged at either side of the line drawn through the axes of the rollers I I together with a centrallylocated roller, 1, the band being passed around the said several rollers in the manner clcarly shown in the said Fig. 5.

To provide means for conveniently moving the several bands H H and I, the rollers H H and I, at the top or inner part of the device shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, are provided with flanges h h 2' t', which extend through slots or apertures 10 in the casing K, and are provided with roughened or milled edges, whereby the rollers may be easily turned by the fingers, and the bands thereby moved, as desired.

Another and for some reasons a preferable device for enabling the bands to be conveniently actuated is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9.

Fig. 8 shows a device for moving the exterior or shorter band, H H, consisting of a hand-wheel, L, which is pivotally supported in the frame of the dating apparatus, and is provided with peripheral cogs engaged with small cog-wheels or pinions ll, attached to the rollers H H over which the said bands H H are trained. The said hand-wheel L is extended at its sides through suitable slots or openings in the casing K, thereby enabling it to be easily rotated by the fingers for turning the bands.

rollers in the manner shown, in order thatboth supporting-rollers of the band shall be positively actuated, and the bringing of any strain upon the band tending to break the latter thereby avoided.

Fig. 9 illustrates a device similar to that shown in Fig. 8 applied for moving the middle or longer type-band, I. In this case a cogged hand-wheel, M, is engaged with cogwheels m m, attached to or formed on the rollers I 1 the said wheel M being conveniently mounted upon the pivot ofone of the rollers, I which in this case is located midway between the pivots of the wheels I 1 in order to bring the wheel M in proper position with relation to both of the said rollers.

In a device constructed as shown in Fig. 9, and embracing six rollers for supporting the type-band I, the roller I is preferably provided with a cog-wheel at each end, and a second cogged hand-wheel M is located at the opposite side of the frame in position to engage the second cog-wheel upon the roller I, and to engage also a cog-wheel attached to the roller 1 such second cog-wheel M being indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 9. When this latter construction is employed, it is entirely obvious that byturning either one of the wheels M three of the guide-rollersnamely, the rollers I l I -will be actuated, thereby insuring the movement of the band without liability of the latter being unduly strained or broken.

In connection with a series of rollers such as are shown as employed to support the type-bands, a stationary bar or supportingplatesuch, for instance, as is shown in a prior patent, No. 287,177, dated October 23, 1883-may be employed forsupporting the types or part of the band by which the printing is accomplished. I prefer, however, to employ for this purpose a roller, as H I such as is shown in the drawings. I find a roller is much to be preferred to the stationary part or supporting-plate'for holding the types upon the band at the point of printing, for the reason that a considerable amount of resistance to the movement of the band is produced bythe stationary surface, which renders the band liable to become broken in adjusting it.

In the use of a stationary surface for sup porting the types in' position for printing, moreover, the ink used for printing is liable to get beneath the band, and in case this occurs and the device is left for some time'unused the bands are liable to adhere to the said surface, so that when the use of the stamp is resumed they become broken in the first effort to move them. When a rolleris employed as a substitute for the stationary surface, no injurious consequences are liable to follow, even in case the band adheres to said roller by the presence of printing-ink thereon in the manner above described, for the reason that when the band is moved under such circumstances the roller will turn and the band will become stripped therefrom without the exertion of any considerable strain upon the band.

The employment of a roller in connection with a type-band made of rubber in the usual manner is found to produce no material efiect upon the printing in the use of letters or types of the ordinary size, notwithstanding the fact that the types are bent into a slightly-convex form by being held 011 the roller at the time of printing; but, on the contrary, it is found that the rubber surface of the type will yield, so as to give a clearimpression from all parts of the type. If, however, by reason of the size of the type or the desirability of making a very perfect print in anyparticular case,it is desired that the face of the type should be perfectly flat at the time of printing, the rear or inner surface of the type-band beneath each letter or row of types thereon may be depressed or made concave to correspond in shape with the surface of the roller, so that the printing face or surface of the type will remain perfectly flat when passing over the roller. This construction is illustrated in Fig. 7, in which 2" 11' indicate the depressions or recesses above referred to.

I have herein shown in Figs. 6 and 7 a novel device adapted for use in connection with a type band or bands, and adapted to enable the operator to bring the type or line of types to be used accurately into position for printing, and when several bands are used to enable the separate types upon theseveral bands to be brought accurately into alignment with each other. For this purpose I employ a yielding or spring stop or arm, 0, which is connected with an adjacent part of the frame of the device, and rests upon the type-band in its part which passes over the roller 1 the ends of the said spring arm or stop being arranged to abut against the side of the projecting type or letters upon the band at the time said types or letters are in position for printing. The said spring-arm is adapted to yield or spring outwardly to allow the types or letters to pass freely beneath it as the typeband is turned for bringing new type into position, and is arranged to drop behind each type or row of types as soon the latter are brought into position for printing, so that by moving the type-band until the spring-arm has dropped upon the band behind the type or row of types, and then moving the band backward until its motion is arrested by contactof the end of the spring-arm with the said type or row of types, the latter may be brought accurately into the desired position without further attention on the part of the operator to effect this end.

By employing a spring stop or arm for each band, as herein shown in Fig. 6, or a single spring stop or arm for all of the bands, the type or types upon the several bands may obviously be quickly and accurately brought into alignment by manipulating each band in the manner above set forth.

As far as the novel features of construction above described in the devices for supporting and actuating the type-bands and for adjusting the position of the types for printing are concerned, these features may be applied to a dating or printing device which is employed otherwise than in connection with a self-inking hand-stamp-as, for instance, ah. ndle attached to the structure formed by the plate F, the case K, and the parts inclosed thereby will make a complete hand-stamp. Such a handle applied in the manner stated is indicated by dotted lines at P in Fig. 9. Several of the novel devices herein illustrated are, however, of especial utility as combined with a hand-stamp of the character herein shown, and are therefore herein claimed in connection with such stamp.

The particular construction of the dating device herein illustrated, embracing plates E E, located between the dating-bands, is shown and claimed in a separate application for patent, Serial No. 246,615, filed by me in the United States Patent Office August 1Q, 1887.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, with the type band or bands of a dating device, rollers for the said band or bands, and a frame supporting said rollers, of a supporting-plate, F, for the dating device, said plate being provided with a central opening, and a casing or cover placed over the bands and rollers, said frame being engaged at its lower end with the opening of the plate F, and the casing being constructed to engage the frame, and attached to the said plate F, whereby the frame is held in position upon the latter, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the frame and flexible type-band of a dating device and two supporting-rollers over which said band is trained, each of said rollers being provided with cogs at one end, of a hand-wheel mounted loosely upon the frame and provided with cogs engaging the cogs of both of said rollers, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a type-band and a supporting-frame and rollers, as I I I I" l I", mounted in said frame, two of said rollers, as I and I, being provided with cogs, of a cog-wheel mounted upon the pivot of one of the other rollers and engaged with the cogged rollers, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with type-bands and a supporting-frame and rollers, as I I" I I I I", mounted in the said frame, one of said rollers, as I, being provided with cogs at each end, and two of said rollers, as I I", having cogs at one end, of two cog-wheels mounted upon opposite sides of the frame, and both engaged with the roller having cogs at both ends, and each engaged with the roller having cogs at one end, whereby, when either of said cog-Wheels is turned, three of the rollers will In testimony that I claim the foregoing as be moved, substantially as described. my invention I affix my signature in presence 10 5. The combination, with a type-band and of two Witnesses. a supporting-frame, of a spring arm or stop 5 mounted upon the frame and resting in con- LOUIS SCOTFORD' tact With the band, whereby the type may be Witnesses: conveniently placed in position for printing, 0. CLARENCE POOLE, substantially as described. T. ROOVAART. 

